Himes, Debicella lobby support among local home builders

Elizabeth Kim, Staff Writer

Published 10:35 pm, Wednesday, October 6, 2010

NORWALK -- Two years ago, members of the Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Fairfield County met at their annual meeting with local legislators and spoke plainly of their struggles to stay afloat amid a housing market that had suddenly gone bust.

The mood was not much different at their meeting Wednesday night at the Norwalk Inn. But with the impending November elections, among the politicians who attended the mix-and-mingle event were the two candidates for the 4th Congressional District.

"It's all about the economy," said state Sen. Dan Debicella, R-21, who is running against Democratic incumbent Jim Himes.

Saying that the government's $400 billion stimulus plan had not worked, Debicella said he planned to lobby for a tax cut for small businesses and provide a $1,500 tax rebate to every middle-class family.

He then referred to Himes as a "rubber-stamp" politician who voted with Democrats the majority of the time.

Debicella, only stayed about 15 minutes, leaving for a Greenwich fundraiser before Himes arrived.

Himes denied the accusation, saying he had the most independent voting record in New England. He cited his decision to break from President Barack Obama and other Democrats in supporting a temporary extension of the Bush tax-cuts for high-income families.

Himes cited initiatives such as the first-time homebuyer tax credit and loan modification for homeowners at risk of foreclosure as aiding the recovery of the housing market.

But he acknowledged that there was a limit to what Washington could do.

"The government cannot fix the real estate problem," he said. "But we can try to reduce the harm."

Asked to offer housing strategies for the region, Himes said the focus should be on transit-oriented development that would promote density in urban centers.

"How and where they build has a lot to do with economic prosperity," he said.

Debicella said he wanted to create a home-buying incentive for young people who graduated from colleges in Connecticut. He would give such individuals half of their income tax back to use toward the purchase of a home in the state.

"You need to make it more affordable for younger people," he said.

The presence of the two candidates at the event suggested the importance of the homebuilding community to both the region and the country.

"The housing industry nationally helps drives the economy," said John Hone, senior vice president of the HBRA who works for a remodeling and residential management company in Greenwich.

The industry, he said, creates a demand for durable goods, which then helps other small businesses.

"We're putting people back to work," he said.

Staff Writer Elizabeth Kim can be reached at elizabeth.kim@scni.com or 203-964-2265.